Twenty-year-old Alhafeez Williams (pictured) is accused of putting 78-year-old former Newark Mayor Sharpe James in a chokehold and stealing a gold necklace in Newark, N.J., on Thursday. James wasn’t injured.

Port Authority spokesman Steve Coleman says the suspect approached police in New York City early Friday and asked to ride the PATH commuter train for free to meet his parole officer.

Coleman says police learned the man was wanted and turned him over to Newark police.

Coleman says the suspect’s girlfriend had James’ necklace.

Williams is held on $50,000 bail.

James ran Newark for more than 20 years before he was convicted in a federal corruption trial.